PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (Trinidad Express) – Former minister in the ministry of national security, Subhas Panday, yesterday said leaders of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) have failed the people of this region.

Panday made the statement to Magistrate Ava Vandenburg-Bailey as his Jamaican clients appeared before her charged with working in this country without work permits.

The three said they were guilty of the offence.

Police prosecutor, Sergeant Krishna Bedassie, told the court that at 9:00 pm last Thursday, PC Howard of the Immigration Division and other officers went to the Village Plaza in Pleasantville where the defendants were met. “All three were dressed in security uniform for the security company, Securiserve,” he said.

The officer asked each their nationality and if they had a work permit to work in this country. They said they were Jamaicans and did not have the relevant documents.

Checks of their passport the following day showed that it was stamped “employment not permitted”.

It also showed Wright had overstayed her time in this country. She was supposed to leave last June.

Panday said Johnson, 45, was a single mother with six children, Wright, 19, lived with her mother and was working to save money to further her studies in tourism.

Mannings, 50, had three children with the youngest attending university in Jamaica, Panday said.

He said they were performing the jobs Trinidadians do not want to do. “These defendants have committed an illegality but not a crime … Caricom and Caricom leaders have failed the people,” Panday said.

He said it was a phenomenon which had been occurring worldwide and drew reference to countries in Africa and the Middle East. Panday also made reference to Trinidadians leaving here and working in the United States.

Panday said that unlike countries in Europe, a person is deported for such a crime. In this country a person is detained, and a special enquiry has to be held which could take several months.

“Our immigration laws, most are draconian, 1960’s legislation,” he said.

He claimed the facilities at the Detention Centre were worse than Golden Grove and the Maximum Security Prison.

He said the women had saved the court’s time by pleading guilty, unlike those from other countries who enter not guilty pleas and keep having their time in this country extended while their matters are pending.

Panday said there were those willing to buy airline tickets for his clients and the women were willing to leave. He asked that his clients be reprimanded and discharged for the offences.

Bedassie said the issues raised by Panday were matters to be dealt with by Parliament. He said the case against the women was an offence and they simply could have applied for the work permit if they wanted to be employed.

Bedassie said the process was that the women will have to face the special enquiry for it to be determined if they could leave voluntarily or be deported.

Vandenburg-Bailey fined each woman $450. They were given a week to pay or serve a week in prison.

Following the court appearance, Panday went to the Immigration Department to attempt to have his clients’ matters before the special enquiry expedited.

The Express was told that should the company be charged, the offence will be employing a person without a work permit and it could face a maximum fine of $1,000.